Grimm Retold
by chlorineobsession
Summary: Shikatema - themed. The classic fairytales you heard as a child retold with a twist, and new morals to the story. (little red riding hood, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, the twelve huntsmen etc.) *Taking Requests!*
1. 1) The Forest Trail

**_A/N: This will be a series of multi-chaptered stories based off various different fairy tales (Mainly tales from the Brothers Grimm)._**

 ** _I've been working on this for a while, so I hope you enjoy. This first one, "When the Demons Call" is based mainly of "Little redcap" which is better known as "Little red riding hood" in modern times._**

 ** _Please follow/favourite if you like it, and don't forget to leave a review!_**

 ** _Also, if you have a favourite fairytale that you'd like me to include, please let me know through either a PM or a review and I'll write one up._**

 ** _Aaaanyway. Naruto isn't mine, just so you know. Let's get on with the story now!_**

When the Demons Call Part 1

The villagers had been warned not to stray from the forest trail.

"The trees will swallow you,"

"The demons will haunt you,"

"The wolves will eat you,"

They had been told these stories from birth, and the age-old legends were widely believed to be truth, so the villagers never did stray from the path.

Or if they did, they were never heard from again.

"The trees swallowed them."

"The wolves got them."

Having been raised with these stories preceding curfews and 'Goodnights', Nara Shikamaru was no stranger to the superstitions of others, but he refused to believe them himself.

That said, he still stayed on the path whenever he went through the forest, not out of fear, but because getting lost would be troublesome.

"NARA SHIKAMARU!"

Shikamaru grumbled and sat up from where he was lying down. That harpy of a woman (who was apparently his mother) would deafen him before his sixteenth birthday, he was sure of it.

"Yes?"

"Yes _mother_." The woman snapped, walking over to him with a basket in her hand.

"Take this to lord Yashamaru before nightfall. Got it?"

Shikamaru sighed, the village elder lived in the heart of the forest, a four hour walk from his house. He'd have to leave as soon as possible to return at a reasonable hour. What a drag...

Nonetheless, it wasn't a choice, given his mother's tone, so he stood and took the basket from her.

"I'll leave now, then." He said as he turned away from her.

"Remember!" Yoshino called from behind him.

"Don't stray from the path!"

"Yeah, yeah," the boy mumbled.

Why did he have to bring the basket to Yashamaru? Surely a messenger could have done it? Maybe it was to strengthen the ties between his family and the village elders. His father was a military advisor for the village leader, but the elders weren't fond of his approach to battle, claiming that he was overthinking every strategy he performed.

Sighing, he walked to the edge of the forest and nearly entered it before he heard a call from behind him.

"SHIKAAAA!"

He spun around to be face-to-face with his childhood friend.

"I-Ino, what is it?"

"I heard you were leaving, so I came to say goodbye!"

"Ino, I'll be back in less than ten hours."

"Still!" The blonde explained, smoothing out her skirt that had crumpled slightly when she'd rushed to catch up to him. "You never know, Shika, the _wolves_ might get you!"

She wiggle her fingers eerily before giggling at his bored expression.

"Ino, those are just kid's tales, you know that, right?"

Ino frowned.

"No they aren't. How do you explain the missing people?"

Shikamaru shrugged.

"They got lost. Ran out of food. Died. Found a better village. Loads of things."

"Even if they really are myths, or kid's tales, they still have to stem from some truth. My dad told me about a clan that was banished years ago whose children throughout the generations slowly evolved into wolves to adapt to their enviro-"

"Ino, I have to go, or else I'll be walking home in the dark. I'll see you tomorrow. If I don't get killed by wolf-children."

Ino didn't laugh at his attempt at a joke, so he turned and entered the forest, leaving the village behind and disappearing among the trees.

OooooooooO

Shikamaru had been walking for about an hour before he heard a rustling amongst the brambles ahead of him. He ignored the noises and quickened his pace, not wanting to think about what those noises could have been.

'A rabbit. It was a rabbit,' he told himself. 'A small fluffy bunny rabbit...'

Throughout the rest of his walk, Shikamaru couldn't help but feel paranoid that he was being watched by someone. By some _thing_.

Upon arriving at Lord Yashamaru's cottage, he knocked thrice and waited to be let in.

"Enter!" Came the voice from within.

Shikamaru pushed the oak door open and walked into the dimly lit home.

A fire was crackling in the sitting area, and a weary looking Yashamaru was seated on a wooden chair at the dining area.

"Ah, thankyou, Nara-kun. I am most grateful for your service."

"It was no trouble, really," Shikamaru said, setting the wicker basket down on the table, noticing for the first time that it contained food and wine.

"I would have gotten it myself," Yashamaru explained, "But I have so much work to do that it would only waste time."

Shikamaru nodded and made to leave before the elder spoke up again.

"Would you like some tea before you leave?"

Shikamaru was about to refuse before he realised that he did, in fact, want a drink.

"I would like that very much," he said, bowing to the older man and seating himself at the table.

Now that he was up close to Yashamaru, he finally got to see what the elder looked like in person. He wasn't that old, it seemed. Perhaps a few years older than his father. He had shoulder length sandy-blonde hair and violet eyes. Interesting.

"Did you encounter any difficulties on your way here, Nara-kun?"

"None at all,"

"Very good..."

They remained in silence as the elder made the tea and handed the cup to Shikamaru, who thanked him gratefully.

"Nara-kun, your father is on the village military council, is he not?"

"Yes, he is."

Yashamaru nodded and sipped at his tea.

"I've heard that you take after him in many regards. Do you mind if i ask you for an opinion on something?"

Shikamaru was taken aback by the man's question, but he nodded, slightly flattered that he'd been compared to his father, whom he admired.

"Do you know of the tales about wolves who live in the forest?"

Shikamaru nodded once more.

"Do you believe them, Nara-Kun?"

Shikamaru frowned.

"Of course not, they are children's stories."

Yashamaru looked down at his hands, his feminine features showing sorrow.

"That's not entirely true, Nara-Kun,"

"How so?"

"Well, there is a hint of the truth in those stories," Yashamaru explained, seeing Shikamaru's expression, he elaborated.

"There is a... Clan who lives in the forest. Or rather, there was."

Shikamaru was stunned by what he was hearing.

"What are you trying to say?" He asked.

"There was a family of five that was exiled. My family. I was kept here to keep the peace."

"Why were they exiled?" Shikamaru was trying to understand everything that he was hearing.

"They practiced witchcraft. Well, the parents did. The mother, my elder sister, died giving birth to a child fifteen years ago. It is said the baby was cursed, and had a demon trapped within him. The father, it is said, passed away recently. The three children are now alone."

"My lord, what do you wish to ask of me?" Shikamaru was confused as to why this virtual stranger was telling him these things.

"I wish to kill the three children."s


	2. 2) Ultimatum

_**A/N: Chapter two! Yay! I hope you enjoy this one, please follow/favourite it if you do, all reviews are really really REALLY appreciated, as is criticism and recommendations. Also, SaltyCandy, yes, there are more twists to come!**_

 _ **Please enjoy this chapter and give me any feedback I you like!**_

 _ **When the Demons Call part 2**_

"Ah, Shikamaru, how was Lord Yashamaru?"

"Fine. He wants me to come back tomorrow."

"Excellent!" Yoshino exclaimed, "This will be helpful to us. It would be _splendid_ if your father could be better trusted by the elders."

Shikamaru nodded and headed to his room, closing the door behind him and feeling slightly comforted by the habitual creak that sounded as the rusted hinges protested against being closed.

He shut his eyes and buried his head into his pillow, replaying Yashamaru's words in his head.

OooooooooO

"Y-you what?"

"Kill them. My niece and two nephews."

Shikamaru stared at the man.

"Why?"

"They are a threat to the village. Their parents took people from the village to experiment their witchcraft on them, who's to say that the children won't do the same? Especially the demon host."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, Nara-Kun, I need your help."

"I want to live my life without blood on my hands, my lord. I do not wish to kill anyone."

"You will not do the killing. I need only know their location and if they are armed. I will commit the crime."

Shikamaru gulped. He had a bad feeling about this.

"I'm sorry my lord but I must refuse. I don't think I am capable of performing this task."

"But you will. You have no choice, I'm afraid,"

Shikamaru stared at him.

"What do you mean, my lord?"

"Your father seeks the acceptance of the village elders, am I correct?"

The look in Shikamaru's eyes was enough to confirm the truth in his words.

"What if I were to say some... _Troubling_ things about him. What would happen then?"

Shikamaru started panicking. He knew where this was going.

"So you will help me?"

Yashamaru proposed the ultimatum as one may propose a cup of tea.

Shikamaru had no real choice, he owed the world to his family.

"Yes, my lord. Of course."

OooooooooO

"Here you are, Shikamaru," Yoshino handed her son a basket and beamed at him. She was so glad that things were looking well for the family.

With any luck, her husband would be given a higher status.

She was so proud that a village elder had taken a liking to her son.

OooooooooO

Shikamaru knocked on the cottage door, his basket was heavier this time than it had been the day before.

"Nara-Kun?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Come in."

Shikamaru opened the door and walked into the cottage and closed the door behind him.

"Come," Yashamaru motioned for Shikamaru to approach the table.

"I will give you three days to find their location. After this, I wish for you to see what weapons they use, if any. You are free to use any methods you deem necessary. I hope to receive a full report in a week."

Shikamaru nodded.

"Very well. What do they look like, might I ask?"

"The youngest, the demon host, has red hair and a tattoo on his forehead. The middle child, a boy once more, wears war paint on his face. Possibly to conceal his features, since he takes after his father in looks. The eldest child is a girl. She is blonde, and wears her hair in a strange style. Four bunches, from what I last remember."

Shikamaru nodded and left the cottage. In his hand, he held a large roll of red yarn, which he tied to the tree closest to the small cottage.

He set out on the hunt for the three children.  
OooooooooO

The first day of his search was fruitless. Shikamaru returned to the first tree by following the red thread after six hours searching and promised to return earlier the next day, so that he could search for longer.

The sun was already fairly low in the sky and he didn't want his mother to worry for him, so he set off for home in hopes that he would be back before nightfall.

As he walked, he realised that the path he was taking would lead him home in four hours. He thought that straying from the path just a little bit wouldn't hurt, he'd been off the path all day during his search, had he not?

At the next turn in the path, he continued straight, taking a large branch in his hand to push aside the undergrowth.

He heard a creaking noise beneath his foot and lifted it up slightly to see what had made the sound. Just as his foot broke contact with the ground, a large net fell from the tree above and held him to the ground.

The net was made of thick heavy rope, and Shikamaru scrambled on all fours, trying desperately to get out from under it. The dead holly leaves and sharp tree roots dug into him as he pushed himself toward the edge of the net.

He was relieved when he got to the end of the net and threw it over his head.

"Dude, why are you off the path?"

Shikamaru started.

He spun around and found himself face to face with a hooded man. Or boy. It was hard to tell beneath all the paint that covered his face.. _. Wait..._

"Are you mute or something?"

"Ah, um n-no. I was just in a...rush."

The hooded boy (man?) nodded.

"You should be careful," he said, offering a hand to Shikamaru to help him up. "They say there are wolves."

"So why are you off the path?" Shikamaru couldn't help hut ask. He had a feeling thus was the middle child he'd been searching for.

The boy shrugged.

"Hunting. Gotta eat, y'know?"

Shikamaru nodded.

"Anyways," he continued. "You should be on your way, nice talking to you. Please stay on the path!"

Shikamaru frowned and turned to make for the path when he heard a yell from behind him.

"KANKURŌ YOU BRAINLESS BOAR, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT?!"

Shikamaru spun around as a blonde woman who wore four pigtails stormed over to the hooded boy.

"S-sis, I'm sorry, it was an accident!"

"ACCIDENT?!" The woman shrieked, "YOU COULD HAVE KILLED THE MAN!"

"It's no problem, really!" Shikamaru began, standing awkwardly to the side.

"YOU!" The blonde continued, rounding on Shikamaru who instantly regretted speaking up. " _YOU_ SHOULD BE ON THE PATH!"

Shikamaru was confused, maybe these weren't the witch children. They didn't seem to want to abduct him or take his soul or anything...

The blonde turned her attention back to the boy named Kankurō.

"You have to be more careful where you lay your hunting traps, idiot!" She snapped, "The villagers are going to think we're trying to kidnap and kill them!"

"I'm sorry, okay?"

The woman sighed and turned back to Shikamaru, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I'm extremely sorry for my brother's lack of intelligence, and I hope you will forgive him for his complete stupidity. He's not the best when it comes to hunting."

Shikamaru shook his head.

"It's honestly fine, please don't concern yourself over this, no harm was caused."

She nodded and held out her hand to him.

"My name is Temari, it is a pleasure to meet you..."

"Nara, Shikamaru Nara."

"Nara, you're from the village, I expect?"

He nodded.

"Well, have a nice day, and please keep to the path, lest my brother's malfunctioning hunting traps cause any harm. Again," she added, glaring at her brother.

Shikamaru laughed and bid them good day, and continued on his way.

He made a mental note to himself that he should find the same spot the next day and search for where they live.

He had a job to do after all.


	3. 3) Orchids

_**A/N: YAY! We're almost at the end of this fan fiction! I'm going to try to make these ones a maximum of five chapters long, any longer and I might lose steam. I'm not sure if I should make the next one about Rapunzel or The Twelve Huntsmen, but if you have a preference or another suggestion, please let me know!**_

 _ **Thank you so much for all the reviews/Faves so far, they're super encouraging! Please keep them coming, they're great for my ego, and they keep this fic going.**_

 _ **Naruto is still not mine.**_

 _ **When the Demons Call part 3**_

Shikamaru couldn't sleep.

He knew that he had to find out about the three "children" for the good of his family, but from what he'd seen that afternoon, they did nothing wrong.

He was torn between doing the right thing for his family, or doing the right thing for his conscience. The lives of three people were in his hands for crying out loud!

He decided to find their hideout the next day, and to make up his mind then.

It shouldn't be too hard a decision, should it?

OooooooooO

"Shikamaru," Yashamaru said as the boy walked into the cottage. "I'm glad to see you here so early. Please hurry on to work, I want to sort this out as soon as I can."

Shikamaru left, and he attached the yarn to the same tree as he had the day before, setting out in a more decided direction than the previous day.

He'd only been walking for an hour by the time he heard them. It was the girl, she was speaking softly to someone, and Shikamaru crouched down behind some shrubbery and tied off his yarn to watch them.

The boy with whom she was speaking had his back to Shikamaru, but the lazy boy could easily see his flaming red hair.

"Gaara, you have to sleep, you look exhausted!" The woman said.

"Temari, if I sleep, the demon will take over me once more. I can't afford to let that happen." The boy said, his voice monotonous.

"Nonsense!" Temari said. "All of it is nonsense!"

Shikamaru lost his footing and began to fall. Deciding not to look too suspicious, he stood up so that it looked as though he'd simply been walking through the forest rather than eavesdropping on Temari and Gaara.

"Oh, good day to you!" He called, feigning surprise as he saw them.

Temari stared at him for a moment before straightening herself up.

"You're off the path again, I see."

"As are you," Shikamaru countered.

"Hunting," Temari said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"Bit far out for hunting, don't you think?"

She glared at him.

"Excuse me sir, but last I checked, my whereabouts were none of your concern."

Shikamaru was enjoying this exchange, so he continued.

"But my lady, it is dangerous for a damsel such as yourself to be out in the forest." He began. He hoped to find out about their weapons at the same time as where they lived. It would make the process a lot faster.

"For all you know, a young man may take a liking to you, and you would be utterly defenseless."

Fury contorted on the girl's face, and Shikamaru waited for her brother to attack him for what he'd said. No hit came.

Shikamaru turned to look at the red haired boy, who stared back at him with wide fearful eyes.

Shikamaru frowned, he hadn't come across as intimidating, had he?

As he turned back around, he was surprised to see Temari running towards him at full speed whilst pulling a dagger out from the sleeve of her dress.

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK, YOU SEXIST, BIASED PRICK!"

He was pushed against a tree with such force that the breath was knocked out of his lungs.

He gasped at the pain that shot through his entire body.

"I meant no offence, milady." He gulped, trying not to wince at the fact the her blade was dangerously close to his throat.

She smirked at his terrified expression and pushed herself off him.

"I should hope not. Wouldn't want to have to burry a young boy like you, would I?"

He gulped once more and straightened out his clothing.

"Truth be told, I am lost," he tried another tactic. "Would you know of anywhere where I might find something to drink?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and pointed east.

"There's a fresh stream an hour's walk from here."

He looked towards where she'd pointed.

"You seem to know the forest well. You aren't from the village, are you?"

"No," she said simply. "We prefer the forest."

She looked at him with a steady gaze, daring him to taunt her again.

"No wonder you're so strong," Shikamaru shrugged, "It's brave of you to live here."

He met her gaze and found that her eyes were wide.

"Strong?" She asked quietly.

"Yes. You must have been through many things in your lifetime to be able to live here."

She looked shocked for a moment more before smiling widely at him.

Her smile took him by surprise, and he found himself blushing slightly under her gaze.

How could a witch smile like that? It couldn't be true...

"Thank you, sir Nara."

"I am no sir," he said, regaining his composure.

"Thank you nonetheless. It isn't often that a man calls a woman strong or brave, but I am grateful that you have."

Shikamaru smiled at her and felt warm all over. He had made her smile.

"Would you like some of my water?" She asked, reaching into a pack that was slung across her shoulder.

"I would, thankyou." He gratefully drank the water and returned the gourd to her, thanking her once more.

"It's my pleasure."

The three of them sat on felled trees for a while, talking about the weather and harvest. The boy named Gaara didn't talk much, but Temari balanced that out by excitedly explaining how she sped up the germination of her orchid plants by planting them individually in pots before putting them in the soil.

"I take it you like flowers?" Shikamaru couldn't help but ask.

"I do, orchids are my favourite." Temari smiled.

He noticed a faint scattering of freckles across her nose, and a dimple on her right cheek.

How cute.

"I must leave," he said after a while. "My mother most likely expects me home soon. I hope to see you both again sometime, lady Temari, lord Gaara." He nodded to each of them, causing Temari to chuckle.

"We are without title, just Temari and Gaara will do fine."

With a final smile and a wave, Shikamaru disappeared behind the shrubbery and detached the red yarn, following its trail back to lord Yashamaru's house.

"Tomorrow, I swear it," he said as he left the cottage.

"I saw no sign of them at all today I'm afraid."

Yashamaru bid him good day and Shikamaru returned home, his heart heavy with regret over the fact that he would have to either turn the three 'witches' in, or potentially cost his father his job.

He was torn from the inside, and he couldn't get Temari's smile out of his head.

He knew that even if he weren't the one to deliver the final blow, he would still be the reason for her death. For _their_ death.

He returned home just as the sun was setting and apologised to his mother for being away so long.

"Lord Yashamaru just needed me to perform a task for him," he explained before climbing up to his room and into his bed, falling asleep, knowing full well that next day would be the most important one of his life.


	4. 4) Betrayal

_**A/N: This is the second last chapter of this first part. I really hope you've enjoyed it so far, writing this was fun. I didn't mention this in the previous chapter, but I really liked the review I got from fanofthisfiction. I'm really glad that that's how you see my story, thank you so much for the lovely comment, it made me smile at my screen :)**_

 _ **Please follow this story and favourite it (cos you know you looooove it!) and please review if you like it! Or if you don't!**_

 _ **Naruto is still not mine.**_

 _ **When the Demons Call part 4**_

He found the same place easily enough the next day.

He once more fastened the thread to a tree and sat down on a tree stump, waiting to see if they'd show up.

He had made up his mind.

He would tell them everything, and then turn them in to Yashamaru, that way they had a chance to escape. It seemed the fairest way.

"Nara Shikamaru,"

He spun around to the source of the voice and his breath caught in his throat when he saw Temari, leaning against the tree behind him, smiling widely.

She was dressed in hunting gear, which somehow made her look even more feminine than dresses did. He stood up to greet her and the two sat side by side on the tree stump.

"Shikamaru, I am glad to have met you." Temari said after a while. "Most of the village people don't like us."

"Why is that?"

She looked at him for a moment before lowering her gaze timidly.

"Our family hasn't the greatest history," she explained. "For generations, alchemy was a craft that our family practiced, and that alchemy became... Darker throughout the centuries."

Shikamaru would wait until the end of her story to tell her of Yashamaru's plan, he decided.

"Our father decided that he would try witchcraft. That's why he wanted children. Not to love and care for, but to experiment on."

Shikamaru looked at her with a horrified expression.

"When I was born, he was disappointed. He didn't believe that I would be able to withstand much magic because of my gender, so he wanted another child. Kankurō was born, he's the one who set up the hunting traps, if you remember."

Shikamaru nodded.

"Father started 'Experimenting' on him at a very young age, and something went wrong with one of his spells. Kankurō was scarred on the face, that's why he paints over the marks. Finally, our father wanted to see if he could implant a spirit into a child, which is why he wanted Gaara.

"Mother died giving birth to him. The demon was too powerful for her to control it, and she was killed. The villagers had exiled us long ago, so we couldn't get medical help. She was beyond saving."

Shikamaru looked at her carefully.

"We can't be saved." She whispered, meeting his gaze at last.

"What do you mean?" Shikamaru changed his position so that he was facing her head on.

"They want us dead, Shikamaru, all of them. They think that we've been kidnapping children and killing them." Her voice was tight and her eyes were filled with sorrow. "we have done no such thing. We've seen what happens to them though..."

Shikamaru frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"A man who lives in the forest takes them." Temari said. " He offers them titles and land and takes them to another village on the condition that they swear not to speak a word of it to anyone else. If they try to return to the village, he kills them."

Shikamaru's eyes widened.

They had never taken people after all. Someone else was behind all the disappearances...

"Temari..." He began, intending to warn her of Yashamaru's intentions.

"Shikamaru, thank you for listening."

Her eyes were filled with so many emotions that he was too shocked to continue, he could only stare into her eyes and take in her face, her hair, her every being.

"thank you," she repeated.

He had no idea what he was doing, but in a sudden moment of fearlessness, he put an arm around her waist and drew her close to him, pressing his lips against hers.

She seemed startled at first, but began kissing him back after a second or two.

He forgot about everything that was going on in the world.

His father's job being at stake, Temari's life being in danger. Wars and famine seemed insignificant, every aspect of his being was reorienting itself to the woman who he held in his arms, urging him to be closer, to be gentler and at the same time, to convey all the strange feelings he was experiencing at that moment.

After a while, he couldn't tell wether it was a minute or an hour, they broke apart, both gasping for air and smiling at each other.

In that moment, he didn't care for his family. For his future. He cared only about Temari.

He would not tell Yashamaru where they lived, instead he would refuse the job, and warn Temari that her uncle was after them.

"Temari, there is something I must tell you..."

Temari looked into his eyes and said nothing, her expression was enough to let him know that she was listening to what he had to say.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, a sound was heard approaching them.

Temari got to her feet and drew her dagger.

A moment later, Yashamaru stepped into the clearing, holding the red yarn that Shikamaru had used to guide himself.

"Ah, Nara," he said when he saw the two people who stood before him. "Excellent job finding them, I am most grateful for your services, you shall be greatly rewarded."

Temari turned slowly to look at him, her face showing a combination of fury, confusion and hurt.


	5. 5) Home

The world froze before him.

Shikamaru saw Temari in a fighting stance, one arm extended in front of her with her open palm facing the sky, the other drawn back, with her fingers curled around the hilt of her dagger.

She was positioned between the two men with her head turned in her uncle's direction.

Yashamaru stood before her, clearly not afraid of her strength. He took out a dagger of his own and pointed it towards her.

"Where is your brother?" He spoke the words calmly.

"Lord Yashamaru, please do not do this!" Shikamaru called. "They have done nothing wrong, they were not the ones behind the disappearances!"

"I know that, Nara, but they must be killed!"

"Why?!"

Temari turned to him and bared her teeth at him.

"Be quiet fool!" She snapped. "You'd do well to leave before I kill you!"

Yashamaru stepped closer to them and laughed. His laugh was not cold and high pitched, or deep and cruel. It was a nice laugh, a friendly one, and that just made him all the more terrifying.

"I am the one who sent them away, the elders wouldn't approve of me killing the children if they hadn't committed a real crime, so I sent them away and told the council of what the 'wolves' had done." He explained. "It was for the greater good, you must understand."

He advanced on temari and with a terrifyingly accurate flick of his wrist, he tossed his dagger at such a speed that neither of the two who stood before him saw what was happening.

Temari cried out in pain and released her dagger as Yashamaru's sliced her fingers. She fell to the ground and clutched her hand to her chest, staining the material of her clothes.

Shikamaru ran to her side and crouched down beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist, but she pushed him away from her and hissed.

"I told you to fucking leave, Nara" She spat.

"Don't worry, Temari." Her uncle spoke softly. "I won't kill you, I need you alive to find out where Gaara is."

Temari glared at him.

"I won't tell you." She said simply, venom laced her words.

"Oh, but you will, unless you wish to die?"

"I'd rather die than betray my family."

Yashamaru shrugged and extracted another dagger from his cloak.

"Very well,"

Temari laughed at him.

"I won't go down so easily," she smiled wickedly at him, but stayed on the ground.

"Without a weapon? Oh I think you will,"

Yashamaru stood only five steps away from her and smiled at her seemingly broken figure.

He raised his dagger, about to launch it at her when a strange echoing noise resonated around them. He frowned and looked up.

The wind was picking up speed and coursing through the trees towards them.

Temari's smile didn't fade as the wind came from behind her and slammed directly into Yashamaru, forcing him against a tree.

The breeze billowed around her, and Shikamaru had to shield his eyes with his arm as leaves and dirt swirled through the air, seemingly avoiding the blonde as a force field of wind protected her from the elements.

"H-how-?"

She smiled at the man's panicked expression.

"My father may have been cruel, but he didn't let my abilities go to waste."

She stepped towards her uncle as the wind eased up and held him in place with her arm as she brought his dagger to his throat.

"Why do you want us dead?" She asked, leaning in so close to him that her nose almost touched his.

"Y-you killed my sister," he gasped.

Temari frowned.

"I have only ever killed one person, and that was a man." She said.

"Your mother was killed giving birth to your demon brother!" Yashamaru was practically in tears. "I LOVED HER, AND HE _KILLED_ HER!"

Temari's eyes widened as she realised that it was her uncle that she was fighting.

"I never knew she had a brother," she said softly. "But Gaara did not kill her, it was our father who killed her. He didn't mean to, we know he loved her."

Seeing the girl relax, Yashamaru seized the chance and twisted the dagger from her wrist before driving it through her stomach.

Shikamaru cried out and scrambled to his feet. Temari didn't make a sound, she only gasped a little bit before collapsing.

"SIS!"

Before Shikamaru could even come close to her, two figures came crashing into the clearing. One of them caught her mid fall-the one with the pointed hood and face paint.

He immediately took threads from his pouch and started examining her wound, regularly looking up and yelling at Yashamaru, who's attention was focused wholly on Gaara, who stood staring at him blankly.

"Gaara," the lord said, "It seems I didn't have to look far for you."

"You hurt my sister," Gaara's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Yes, I've noticed."

"She could be dead,"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Have you anything you'd wish to say before I kill you?"

"I'm afraid that won't happen Gaara, _I_ am the one who will kill tonight."

"I think not."

The earth trembled as tiny grains of sand and dust rose from bellow the ground.

Yashamaru laughed as tiny little particles made their way towards him. His laughter died the moment a wave of sand rose from the earth and crashed into him, crushing him in a sand fist.

He cried out in pain and begged for mercy.

Moments later, a dull crunching sound could be heard from inside the coffin like construction.

No more sound came.

"Gaara,"

Shikamaru saw Temari propped up on her shoulders and looking at her brother with eyes full of sorrow and pride.

"Thanks."

Gaara came to kneel before his sister and examined the cut that Kankurō had been healing with the help of his threads. It was almost fully healed, the tread was stitching it without the help of a needle.

"Care to explain what happened?"

Temari launched into an explanation, going from the beginning of her day up until the arrival of Gaara and Kankurō.

She recounted everything word for word and only excluded the part about her kiss with Shikamaru.

When she finished, Kankurō turned to Shikamaru, heaving furiously. With an iron grip, he grabbed at the lazy man's throat and held him off the ground.

"I WILL KILL YOU. YOU NEARLY GOT TEM KILLED!"

Shikamaru gasped but didn't struggle against his hold.

"I-know-" he choked.

Gaara placed a hand on Kankurō's shoulder as a signal for him to let go, which he did.

When Shikamaru got his breath back, he looked up to see the three siblings looking down at him, their faces clearly saying "we want answers".

He explained everything, ignoring their gaze the whole time.

When he looked at them again, he tried to meet Temari's gaze, but she looked away from him and walked off into the trees.

He was in the depths of despondency. He simply sat there as Temari's two younger brothers looked at him.

"What do we do with him?" He heard Kankurō ask.

"We'll let Temari decide," was the answer he was given.

A few moments later, Temari returned and knelt down beside Shikamaru. She looked at him for a moment before talking.

"What would you have decided on?"

" This morning, I would have told you about Yashamaru's plan, and then told Yashamaru your location, but after meeting you, I wanted only to protect you."

Temari nodded. She stood up and held out one of her hands to him, keeping the other behind her back.

"Why didn't you want that from the start?"

Shikamaru, who had been about to take her hand, pulled away.

"My family!" He began. "I couldn't just let them-"

He stopped when he saw her smiling.

"I forgive you. Anyone who values their family is someone whom I can respect."

He smiled and took her hand in his.

"Thank you." He whispered.

She held out her other hand and he saw that it held a single orchid flower.

"I hope to see you again sometime soon, Shikamaru."

He did not care that her brothers were there and watching them as he pulled her close and kissed her.

"You will, I swear it."

He made his way home that afternoon with an orchid and a promise that he didn't intend to break.

He went home with a future that he could look forward to and a smile that would never wipe off his face.

He went home with thoughts of Sabaku no Temari, and a soaring heart.

He went home, and never once strayed from the path, he'd have plenty of opportunities to do that another time.

He'd be back in no time at all.

OooooooooO

 _ **A/N: Heehee, I hope you liked this! The next one will be a short one-shot interlude before I go into another multichapter one. If you have any requests for a story base, please do let me know!**_

 _ **I'm not sure if this one came across as a little rushed at the end, but I hope you thought it was good! The feedback was really nice from you guys throughout this, and I hope it will continue for the next ones!**_


	6. Interlude-Sleep Sonnet

_**Sleep Sonnets**_

The children of the village were always told the wonderful story of sleeping beauty. The story of how their prince found the princess under a wicked curse and gave her a true love's kiss, waking her from her slumber and bla bla bla.

The first time Temari heard the old lady telling the children her story, she was so furious that she stormed right into the middle of their "story circle" and gave out to the old lady for circulating false information.

She sat herself down in the middle of the circle and began telling the truth which, granted, wasn't half as romantic as the one that the elderly lady told, but it was the truth, and that was what mattered.

§

She entered the chamber where it was promised she'd find a sleeping prince.

A _beautiful_ sleeping prince.

To say she was disappointed would be an understatement.

He wasn't bad looking per se but he wasn't exactly prince charming.

He had the dark hair from the stories and the same unimpressed expression she'd been warned of.

"You mean to tell me I travelled all this way to wake up a 6/10 ?" She grumbled, seating herself beside his bed and watching the prince's face as he slept.

There was only one problem.

 _"How_ do I wake him up?"

There came no answer.

She sighed and stood up, pacing around the small room for any clues.

Chess board, books, clothes... Nothing out of the ordinary for a rumoured prodigy. A kiss would be far to generic, and the Knight of Sand refused to stoop down to the level of fairy tales.

Violence wasn't the answer.

She looked at him again.

She really wanted to kick him.

He had a face that asked to be kicked.

Violence was _not_ the answer.

It was the question.

The answer was yes.

She grabbed him by the hair that was tied in a stupid little ponytail and lifted his head up.

"W-WHAT THE-?!"

He flailed and his eyes opened instantly.

"Ah, you're awake." She observed, letting him go before he woke everyone up.

"Of course I'm awake! " he yelped, " You just tried to _scalp_ me!"

He rubbed his head with a frustrated frown etched upon his features.

"What are you even doing here, troublesome woman?"

She raised an eyebrow at him and started explaining.

"I was sent to wake up the 'sleeping beauty' of a prince. I was disappointed to find a mediocre dude- _that_ would be _you_ -" she pointed at him " - in his place. Hence the lack of tenderness as I woke you up."

He looked confused for a moment before he broke into a smile.

"You got the wrong castle."

"... Excuse me?"

"That wasn't me. It's the Uchiha prince who was cursed, not me."

"But you were asleep..."

"I do that a lot." He retied his hair.

" You didn't wake up when I came in..."

"Heavy sleeper." He shrugged and observed his cuticles from a short distance.

"The dark hair?"

"Coincidence."

"Eyes?"

"Beats me."

"Pissed off expression?"

"When you've finished comparing me to the Uchiha prick, you can leave."

She stared at him incredulously.

"I can't believe this."

"Well, I can give you directions to the Uchiha palace since you're s _oooo_ desperate." he rolled his eyes and waited for her to decide.

When she said nothing, he sat up and studied her face before carefully choosing his words.

"Why did you want to find Sasuke? He's the Uchiha by the way."

She thought about it for a moment before shrugging.

"Sounded like a challenge, figured it could be fun."

He stared.

"You do know that the woman who wakes him up has to marry him, right?"

"W-What?!"

He smiled.

"Yup!"

She felt sick.

"I'm... Gonna go home..."

She just dodged a bullet.

"Stay, you're welcome to stay a while."

She thought about it for a moment before sinking back down at the foot of his bed.

"Do you play chess?"

She nodded.

Wordlessly, he set up the board and they played two games. She lost them both.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. Thanks."

§

A small girl raised her hand.

"B-but, my lady..."

Temari turned to her and smiled, a clear invitation to keep talking.

"How come you guys got married?"

Temari's smile darkened.

"Ohoho, that happened a good while later."

§

"So..."

"Hn?"

"I need to tell you something."

"I'm all ears, Nara. Fire away."

"... I lied."

"About?"

"Prince Uchiha?"

She propped herself up on her elbow and narrowed her eyes at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I... Well... If you were the one to wake him up, you wouldn't have to marry him. You just got a reward of your choice."

"... You mean to tell me... That that pink haired bitch... _Chose_ to marry that arrogant prick?"

Shikamaru nodded.

"And I could have had _anything_ I wanted?"

"Within reason, yes."

"But instead I played chess with you?"

"That is correct."

"..."

"..."

"Nara, you'd do well to run before I kill you and use your pelt as parchment."

"You wouldn't do that though."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I know you love me."

"Do I now?"

"Yes."

"I can't love someone who's lied to me."

"I only said that to get revenge on you waking me up, and honestly? I don't think you regret staying."

"You sure about that?"

"Yes."

"And why is that?"

"Because otherwise you wouldn't be able to say that you're engaged to a prince."

"... I'm not."

"Well, you are now."

§

"That's so unromantic!" The girl scrunched up her nose and stuck out her tongue.

"Welcome to the real world, kid."

"Tem?"

She turned around and saw Shikamaru standing a little further away, arms crossed.

"Yes?"

"Tell the kids the moral of this story."

Temari rolled her eyes and turned back to the group.

"The moral of this story kids is never, ever wake someone up, otherwise you might end up being stuck with them for longer than you'd like."

After the bored and disappointed group dispersed, Temari turned to her husband.

"You're awake."

"I am."

"Well done."

"I woke up alone, it was awfully sad."

"Mmm, I'm sure."

"At least I wasn't woken up by a dragon..."

She smacked him on the arm and they made their way back to the castle.

"Don't test me Nara. We both know that I haven't gone soft."

"You haven't gone soft, but I know your weakness."

"Oh, you do? What might that be?"

He angled her face and caught her lips with his, smiling when he felt her breath catch.

"It's always been me."

 _ **A/N: Hehe, whaddaya think? I just felt like writing a light fluffy little story before I do another multi-chaptered one. I hope you like it.**_

 _ **Please leave a review and let me know what you think!**_

 _ **Also, if you have any fairy tale requests, I'd love to hear them!**_

 _ **Thanks!**_

 _ **~Lee**_


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